Brassiere



Oct. 7, 1958 w. ROSENTHAIL 2,854,934

BRASSIERE Filed Nov. 16, 1.955 2 Sheets-Sheet l WH/iam Rosemha/ INVENTOR. BY z/A 7.44.4

ATTO R N EV Qct. 7,1958 w. RQsENTHAL- 2,854,984

BRASS IERE Filed Nov. 16, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 William m Rosemha/ INVENTOR.

ATTQRNEY United StatesPatent BRASSIERE William Rosenthal, Bayville, N. Y., assignor to Maiden Form Brassiere Co., Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application November 16, 1955, Serial No. 547,289

1 Claim. (Cl. 128-467) The object of the present invention is to provide a brassiere which will hold the cups of the brassiere upwardly extended without the use of boning and which will comfortably maintain the smooth rounded areas at the opposite side of each cup in the absence of boning, which will provide better lateral support while enabling the use of freely extendable light fabric over a substantial central proportion of each bust, so that while the lateral sides and general form of each cup of the brassiere is maintained, the central area of each cup may be of light, freely yieldable fabric, and no pressure will be imposed upon the sensitive areas of the bust when the garment is worn.

The aforesaid and other objects of the invention will be described hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, inwhich,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a brassiere constructed in accordance with the invention, the inner lateral area of each cup having been broken away to expose the lateral supporting elements, the garment being relaxed and ready for folding into two halves;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, the view being partly broken away, showing the garment in its position when worn, with the light, yielding fabric area at the center of each cup being brought outward without folds;

Fig. 3 is a schematic plan view of the structure taken from the exterior thereof;

Fig. 4 is a schematic plan view of the structure taken from the inner face thereof with the fabric lining partly broken away to show the lateral reinforcing element greatly enlarged for clarity of illustration; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section on the line 5-5, Fig. 4.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, it will be seen that the brassiere consists of a band 1, which may be sectional if desired, back band elements 2, and cups, each of which is preferably within an area reinforced by a U-shaped wire 3 suitably cushioned by a cushioning material 4 at the inside of the brassiere, as indicated more particularly in Figs. 4 and 5. Each cup is provided with a lining 5 of light fabric, and an outer covering 6 of any suitable decorative fabric, lace being an example.

At each side and between the outer fabric and lining of the respective cups is a relatively stiff reinforcing member 7 of other material which will stand repeated washing; and I prefer that the material be woven of nylon of that type adapted for forming stiff but resilient threads, and of such character that repeated flexing and washing or dry cleaning of the garment Will not affect its function at the lateral sides of each cup in maintaining a smooth supporting wall, so that each cup will be maintained generally in the form which it assumes upon the wearer, at the sides of the cup, leaving the center of each cup free and yielding upon the slightest pressure so that the garment in said areas will naturally conform to the busts of the wearer.

Reference to Figs. 1 and 2 will show that the lateral reinforcements of each cup maintain the side areas of the cup in substantially the same formation as when the garment as worn and, as shown in Fig. 1, the soft and yielding character of the fabric of each cup in its area between the lateral reinforcements will cause it to assume a relaxed fullness.

By means of my invention, maintenance of the correct form, adequate lateral support for the bust, and extension of life of the garment is assured without boning, and this with a greater comfort than is secured by the expedient of boning.

It will be seen that by reference to Fig. 5 that the inner edge of each reinforcement 7 is protected by being covered with a longitudinally folded tape 7x, and that the outer fabric of the cup lies over said tape. Of course, when the outer fabric is opaque the tape, in each case, will be concealed.

Having described my invention, what I claim and de sire to secure by Letters Patent is as follows:

A brassiere consisting of a front panel, back band elements and two cups carried by the front panel, and each having a curvilinear base area, an inverted V-shaped area rising substantially above said front panel, the latter at its centre area being formed in inverted V-shape and its apex being substantially below the top areas of the cups and the cups at their inner margins being formed with two reversely curved lateral surfaces, each cup meeting the other at the point of juncture of said curved lateral surfaces, and the panel at said lateral surfaces of the cups carrying narrow applied flex-resistant reinforcements maintaining said lateral surfaces generally in the form assumed by the wearer and leaving the center of each cup free and yielding upon light pressure, enabling the garment in said center areas of the cups to freely conform to the busts of the wearer whilst substantial lateral areas of the busts are firmly supported laterally.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,338,535 Gluckin Nov. 6, 1945 2,460,715 Schoebel Feb. 1, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 656,197 Great Britain Aug. 15, 1951 1,014,743 France June 18, 1952 1,101,254 France Apr. 20, 1955 

